Portable folding chair

ABSTRACT

A folding chair which may be collapsed into a compact, rectangular package. The chair is made up of a seat, backrest, legs and a sliding frame member, all articulated in such a way that by means of the frame slidably connected to the seat and pivotally connected to the backrest and the rear leg member and the front leg member pivotally connected to the rear leg member and the backrest member, the chair folds into a compact, relatively thin package.

United States Patent [191 Minsker 1 June 11, 1974 1 1 PORTABLE FOLDING CHAIR [76] Inventor: Lawrence D. Minsker, 102 Pleasant View Dr., Jamestown, NY. 14701 [22] Filed: July 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 270,869

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 75,527, Sept. 25,

1970, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. 297/47 [51] Int. Cl. A47c 4/00 Field of Search 297/46, 48-50,

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 181,225 8/1876 Travis 248/434 380,484 4/l888 Henry 297/52 1,570,863 1/1926 Simmons 297/52 X 1,707,018 3/1929 Kidder 297/52 1,736,804 11/1929 Silverman 248/432 1,975,520 10/1934 Simmons..... 297/48 3,450,432 6/1969 Minskcr 297/47 X Primary Examiner-James C, Mitchell 5 7 ABSTRACT A folding chair which may be collapsed into a compact, rectangular package. The chair is made up of a seat, backrest, legs and a sliding frame member, all articulated in such a way that by means of the frame slidably connected to the seat and pivotally connected to the backrest and the rear leg member and the front leg member pivotally connected to the rear leg member and the backrest member, the chair folds into a compact, relatively thin package.

6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEBJM 1 1 m4 SHEET 10F 2 FIG/I PORTABLE FOLDING CHAIR CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 75,527, which was filed Sept. 25, 1970 and now abandoned.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an improved folding chair.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding chair that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a folding chair that may be folded up into a compact, rectangular package.

With the above and other objectsin view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a right side view of the chair in a completely open position according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the chair in ,a one-third closed position.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the chair in a two-thirds closed position.

FIG. 4 isa left side view of the chair in a completely closed position according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the chair in a completely closed position.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the chair in a completely closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Now with more particular reference to the drawings, a portable folding chair is indicated generally at 10. The portable folding chair 10has a front leg member 11 which is located at the front of the chair when it is in the open position and can be generally U-shaped with the upwardly directed front legs 11 being joined at their lower extreme by front leg intermediate mem' ber 14. The front leg member 11 can be made of tubular or other suitably shaped material. The portable folding chair 10 also has a generally U-shaped rear leg member 12 which is located at the rear of the chair when it is in the open position and can be generally U- shaped with the upwardly directed rear legs 12 being joined at their lower extreme by rear leg intermediate member 13. The rear leg member 12 can be made of tubular or other suitably shaped material.

The backrest frame 16 is generally in the form of a U-shaped member having backrest legs 15 and backrest intermediate member 18. The backrest frame 16 supports the back support member 21 which is made of molded plastic or other material and is located between the legs 15 and below the intermediate part 18 so as to support the back of a seated person.

The chair frame 29 has chair frame legs 31 and integrally attached intermediate chair frame member 30.

Chair frame legs 31 are slidably attached to chair seat 17 by slider 24 which moves in slot 22 on the underside of the chair seat 17. Intermediate chair frame member 30 is pivotally attached to the extreme lower ends of backrest legs 15 at lugs 20 which are attached to and disposed forwardly from the intermediate chair frame member 30. Lug 20 and intermediate chair frame member 30 form a stop which holds the upper ends of front leg members 11 when chair is fully open. The chair frame 29 is pivotally attached to the rear leg member 12. The chair frame intermediate member 30 of chair frame 29 has lugs 20 fixed to it, spaced inward from the backrest legs 15. The lugs 20 at the ends of the chair frame intermediate member 30 receive pivotally the backrest legs 15 at pivot 32. The backrest legs 15 also receive pivotally the front legs 11 at pivot 28. The backrest legs 15 also receive pivotally the chair seat 17 at pivot 19. The front legs 11 are also pivotally connected to the rear legs 12 at pivot 23. The rear legs 12 are also pivotally connected to the chair frame members 29 at pivot 27. The end of chair frame legs 31 opposite the chair frame intermediate member 30 is pivotally attached to slider 24. Slider 24 moves in slots 22 on the underside of the chair seat 17.

In the open position, front leg member 11 is located generally in the front and lower part of the chair with the front leg intermediate member 14 in spaced relation to and parallel with the rear leg intermediate member 13. The front and rear leg intermediate members 13 and l4 forming the base for the folding chair 10. The front legs 11 extend upwardly and rearwardly from the front leg intermediate member 14. Well toward its upper end the front legs 11 are pivotally attached at 23 to the rear legs 11. The ends of front legs 12 are against the chair frame intermediate member 30 which stops the travel of the front legs 11 when the chair is fully open. The extreme ends of front legs 11 are pivotally attached to the backrest legs 15. When folding the chair, front leg member 11 moves relative to the rear leg member 12 at pivot point 23 and the backrest frame 16 at pivot point 28. The travel of front leg member 11 is limited by the chair frame intermediate member 30.

The rear leg member 12 is located generally in the rear and lower part of the chair with the rear leg intermediate member 13 in spaced relation to and parallel with the front leg intermediate member 14, the leg members 13 and 14 forming the base for the portable folding chair 10. The rear legs 12 extend upwardly and forwardly from the rear leg intermediate member 13. Well toward its upper end, the rear legs 12 are pivotally attached at 23 to the front legs 11. The extreme ends of rear legs 26 are pivotally attached at 27 to the chair frame legs 31. In folding the chair, the rear leg member 12 moves in relation to the front leg member 11 at pivot point 23 and chair frame 29 at pivot point 27.

The backrest frame 16 is located generally in the rear and upper part of the chair with the backrest intermediate member 18 in spaced relation to and parallel with the leg intermediate members 13 and 14, it is the uppermost extreme of the chair and provides a support for the back support member 21. The backrest legs 15 extend generally upwardly and rearwardly and are pivotally attached to the seat 17 at pivot point 19, and are pivotally attached to the front leg members 11 at pivot point 28 and are pivotally connected to the chair frame 29 at pivot point 32. In folding the chair 10, the backrest frame moves in pivotal relation to the seat 17, the

' front leg member 11, and the chair frame 29.

The chair frame 29 is located generally in the center of the portable folding chair with chair frame leg 31 extending from front to rear and a chair frame intermediate member located generally at the rear of the chair extending from side to side with lugs 20 integrally attached to each end. The chair frame 29 is pivotally attached to the backrest frame 16 at the lug 20. The frame 29 is slidably attached to the chair seat 17 by slider 24 which moves in slot 22 in the underside of seat 17. When the portable folding chair 10 is folded, the chair frame 29 moves in relation to the backrest frame 16 at pivot point 32, and rear leg member 12 at pivot point 27 and the chair seat 17 at slider 24 in slot 22.

The seat 17 is pivotally attached to the backrest frame 16 at pivot point 19. The, chair seat 17 is slidably attached to the chair frame legs 31 with slider 24 which moves in slot 22 in the underside of seat 17. When the chair is folded, the seat moves in relation to the backrest member 16 at pivot point 19 and the chair frame 29 at sliding connection 24.

The backrest 21 is integrally attached to the back support means and folds up with the backrest frame.

The portable folding chair 10 in a completely open position has front leg member 11 and rear leg member 12 which at the pivot point 23, where they intersect, form an equilateral triangle with the fioor. The seat 17 is generally horizontal with the chair frame 29 sloping downwardly from the forward end of the seat 17 and the backrest frame 16 sloping upwardly and rearwardly from the rearward end of the seat 17. The portable folding chair 10 in a completely closed position has as its outside piece the backrest frame 16 with legs 15 and upper intermediate part 18. Lying just inside the backrest frame 16 are the front legs 11 with theintermediate member 14. Lying just inside the front legs 11 are the rear legs 12 with the intermediate member 13. Lying just inside the rear legs 12 are the frame members 29 with the integrally attached lower intermediate frame member which is the outer piece on the side opposite the backrest upper intermediate part 18. The area enclosed by the various frame members is occupied by the seat 17 which is slidably attached to frame members 29 and pivotally attached to rear legs 12, and by the backrest member 21 which is attached to backrest frame 16.

The closing of the chair with the above prescribed mechanism would be accomplished as follows; with pivot 23 between front leg member 11 and rear leg member 12 assumed as a central point for purposes of this description, and front leg member 11 is held stationary. From a fully open position the front leg member 11 is held in a vertical position and the rear leg member 12 is moved toward front leg member 11 turning on pivot 23 until front leg member 11, being of a slightly larger dimension, completely surrounds rear leg member 12. While the legs 11 and 12 have moved together, the backrest frame 16 which is pivoted to front leg member 11 at pivots 28, to lugs at pivots 32, and to the chair seat at pivots 19, has moved forwardly and downwardly around pivot 32 which is upwardly positioned in relation to pivot 23 until it lies parallel with leg members 11 and 12. Chair seat 17 is pivotally attached to backrest frame 16 and slidably attached to chair frame member 29. When backrest frame member 16 is swung forwardly due to its attachment to seat 17 at 19 the chair frame member 29 on pivot connection 24 slides rearwardly in slot 22 of seat 17.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A portable folding chair comprising,

a seat,

a backrest frame,

front legs,

rear legs,

and a U-shaped frame member,

said rear legs being pivotally connected to said front legs at an intermediate part of each,

slot means on said seat,

means on the legs of said U-shaped frame member slidably received in said slot,

means connecting the rear ends of said U-shaped member to the lower end of said backrest frame, the rear end of said seat being pivotally connected to said backrest,

the upper ends of said front legs being pivotally attached to said backrest below said seat,

the upper ends of said rear legs being pivotally attached to said U-shaped member forward of its connection to said backrest.

2. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein said front legs are pivoted to said rear legs at a point lower than the point at which said front legs are pivoted to said backrest member and said rear legs are pivoted to said U- shaped frame member.

3. The chair recited in claim 2 wherein the said backrest member is pivotally attached to said U-shaped frame member at a point below the point where the said backrest member is attached to said U-shaped member and the said seat is pivotally attached to the said backrest member at a point higher than the point where the said front legs are attached to the said backrest member.

4. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein said backrest frame is U-shaped and said U-shape has an intermediate part and two legs,

said legs on said backrest comprising said means to connect said U-shaped frame whereby said frame is connected to said backrest.

5. The chair recited in claim 4 wherein the side legs of said U-shaped backrest frame are disposed in planes in parallel to the planes of said front legs and said rear legs when said chair is folded.

6. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein said front legs are connected together at their lower ends and said rear legs are connected together at their lower ends. 

1. A portable folding chair comprising, a seat, a backrest frame, front legs, rear legs, and a U-shaped frame member, said rear legs being pivotally connected to said front legs at an intermediate part of each, slot means on said seat, means on the legs of said U-shaped frame member slidably received in said slot, means connecting the rear ends of said U-shaped member to the lower end of said backrest frame, the rear end of said seat being pivotally connected to said backrest, the upper ends of said front legs being pivotally attached to said backrest below said seat, the upper ends of said rear legs being pivotally attached to said U-shaped member forward of its connection to said backrest.
 2. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein said front legs are pivoted to said rear legs at a point lower than the point at which said front legs are pivoted to said backrest member and said rear legs are pivoted to said U-shaped frame member.
 3. The chair recited in claim 2 wherein the said backrest member is pivotally attached to said U-shaped frame member at a point below the point where the said backrest member is attached to said U-shaped member and the said seat is pivotally attached to the said backrest member at a point higher than the point where the said front legs are attached to the said backrest member.
 4. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein said backrest frame is U-shaped and said U-shape has an intermediate part and two legs, said legs on said backrest comprising said means to connect said U-shaped frame whereby said frame is connected to said backrest.
 5. The chair recited in claim 4 wherein the side legs of said U-shaped backrest frame are disposed in planes in parallel to the planes of said front legs and said rear legs when said chair is folded.
 6. The chair recited in claim 1 wherein said front legs are connected together at their lower ends and said rear legs are connected together at their lower ends. 